The present invention relates generally to the cooling of parts and components of gas turbine combustion systems and in particular to the cooling of hula seals and caps employed in such systems.
The combustion of air/fuel mixtures as typically occurs in gas turbine combustion systems generates significant quantities of heat in the form of hot combustion gases at temperatures that can be detrimental to, if not destructive of, the parts and components that make up such systems. In some instances, the need for cooling arises not in the region where the combustion itself takes place but in regions where the hot combustion gases are ingested. To alleviate the problems that hot combustion gases present, cooling arrangements typically are provided as important features of gas turbine combustion systems.
Most often, the cooling arrangements of gas turbine combustion systems make use of the compressed or high pressure air that is otherwise available in the gas turbine combustion systems. Thus, the high pressure air can be used both for cooling purposes as well as for mixing with the fuel for combustion purposes.
Often times the cooling arrangements are distinctively designed so as to deal with particular cooling needs or desiderata. In any case, it can be particularly useful to provide a cooling arrangement that results in important reductions in the temperatures of the parts and components of the combustion systems while not employing significant quantities of cooling air for the purpose.